Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-09-15
Bearers Of Charmed Lives.

The case is recorded Of a man who
cut himself almost in two through run
ming heedlessly against the blade OF
seythe. He was taxed TO the hospital,
sewn up, and in the course of time re-
appeared among his admiring friends.
In another case, says a writer in AH
the Yedr Round, an almost impercepti-
BILE scratch, inflicted by the wire of
soda-water bottle, was sufficient 70
cause death in a few hours. A more
recent case of a young man who, in ig-
hitting match on his thumb nail, re-
tanned a portion of the intiammable
compound between the tip of the nail
and the flesh, inflicting wound from
the effects of which he died, offers a
remarkable contrast to the following
record of marvellous recovery from
wounds, which seems to prove indis-
putably that some persons indeed bear
a charmed life.
After the bearer of the kings color
fell at Albuera, Lieut.. Latham seized
the color and defended it bravely
against host of assailants. His left
hand was severed by a saber stroke,
whereupon he dropped his sword, and,
seizing the staff with his right hand,
clung tenaciously to it, although sur
rounded, thrown down, and trampled
upon by the horses and pierced by the
lances of his assailants. On the British
cavalry coming up the enemy retreat
ed, and the color was found under
meath the body of the brave lieutenant
as he lay, apparently dead. He was
discovered shortly afterward near the
river to which he had crawled, and,
having his numerous wounds attended
to, recovered to enjoy his sovereign's
favor.
Thomas Carter in his "Curiosities of
War;" mentions the case of William
Masters, colonel who served under
the duke of Cumberland and who suf-
fered severely from asthma. During
an engagement, however, he was struck
by ball, which passed through his
lungs and which had the remarkable
effect of restoring him to health.
Though the duke used frequently to
prescribe this treatment as q never
failing remedy no instance is recorded
of any one else following the prescrip-
ton, the remedy no doubt being con-
sidered more dangerous than the
disease.
While Mr.. White, an official at St..
Pauls cathedral, was showing some
visitors the geometrical staircase, he
suddenly disappeared down the well,
and, falling a distance of ninety feet,
alighted on the engine at the bottom.
He appeared none the worse for his
aerial flight, and shortly afterward
walked home.
Sir Charles Napier, while an infant,
was on the border-land of death
through starvation when he was res
cued. As boy at play he tore the
flesh from one leg and fractured the
other. At the battle of Corunna he was
wounded in five places and taken
prisoner, which led to the supposition
among his relations that he had been
killed; but he was not so easily dis
posed of, for we afterward find him
at the battle of Busaco, where he was
struck in the face by bullet, which
lodged behind the ear.
Returning at the conclusion of the
war, the ship went down off Flushing
A pile which he managed to reach wa!
too large for him to climb up, and h
was therefore obliged to cling to th'
base, where he was battered and hal
drowned by the waves which constant
ly washed over him, until he was res
cued from his dangerous position
After the cholera had made a vain at
tempt on his life and the sea had once
more refused to retain him after ship
wreck, he was wounded at Kurrachet
by a rocket; but this being insufficient
to induce him to retire, he was strucl
simultaneously by rocket and a shell
which inflicted severe injuries on hi
body, but failed to deprive him of wha
looks like charmed life"